Common degree level systems in Hungarian Computer Science Education

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Common degree level systems in Hungarian Computer
Science Education

• Dr.Emod Kovács PhD
• Institute of Mathematics and Informatics
• Eszterházy Károly College, Eger, Hungary

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Europe, Hungary
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Europe, Hungary
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Eger, Hungary
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Eszterházy Károly College

• http//www.ektf.hu

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Institute of Mathematics and Informatics

• http//matinf.ektf.hu

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The aims of this lecture

1. Survey of Bologna Process
2. Computing Curricula 2005 The Guide to
   Undergraduate Degree Programs in Computing
3. Informatics BSc programs in Hungary and
   Eszterházy Károly College

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I. Bologna Process in EU

• History
• All has started with Lisbon convention in 1997.
• The Lisbon convention is one of the most
  important thing in modern Europe.
• The full text at http//conventions.coe.int
• Declared by Council of Europe and UNESCO
• 1998. Paris , ministers of education of EU's
  leading countries (France, Germany, Italy and
  United Kingdom) has signed a Sorbonne Joint
  Declaration
• They underlined the goals of Lisbon Convention
  and highlighted the necessity of homogenous
  European Higher Education Area.
• Their opinion was the opaque higher education and
  the many problems of the comparison of diplomas
  are the main difficulty of labour mobilizations

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Next step Bologna in 1999

• About Higher Education
• 29 ministers of education signed the Bologna
  Declaration
• the adoption of a system of easily readable and
  comparable degrees
• the adoption of a system essentially based on two
  main cycles in higher education, undergraduate
  and graduate
• the establishment of a system of credits
  promoting intellectual and physical mobility
• the promotion of free movement of teachers and
  students
• The declaration is engaged with the Anglo-Saxon
  type linear education system, undergraduate (BSc.
  or BA.) and graduate(MSc. or MA.) trainings.

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Second stage in Prague, 2001.

• The location holds a symbolic meaning, as it was
  referred to the enlargement of EU. The Ministers
  emphasized the following points
• Lifelong learning,
• Higher education institutions and students
  Ministers stressed that the involvement of
  universities and other higher education
  institutions and of students as competent, active
  and constructive partners.
• Promoting the attractiveness of the European
  Higher Education Area

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Next stages in Bologna Process

• Berlin in 2003. Ministers reviewed the progress
  achieved since the Prague meeting in 2001 and set
  directions and concrete priorities for the next
  20 months, before they meet again in May 2005 in
  Bergen/Norway
• One of the new element is the compulsory diploma
  supplement They set the objective that every
  student graduating as from 2005 should receive
  the Diploma Supplement automatically and free of
  charge. It should be issued in a widely spoken
  European language.
• Lacking the space, we do not deal with the Bergen
  Declaration, Nowadays more than 45 countries
  joined the Bologna Process in EU.
• The next Ministerial Summit will be in London in
  May 2007.

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(No Transcript)
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II. Computing Curricula 2005

• Major organizations
• Association for Information Systems, AIS
• Computer Society of the Institute for Electrical
  and Electronic Engineers, IEEE-CS
• Association for Machinery, ACM
• Association for Information Technology
  Professionals, AITP

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CC2001 Project

• Joint Task Force on Computing Curricula 2001
  (CC2001) established in late 1998
• Created by IEEE-CS, ACM and AIS
• Target to undertake a major review of curriculum
  guidelines for undergraduate programs in
  computing.

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Context

• The CC2001 Committee saw the need for different
  volumes
• Computer Engineering, CE
• Information Systems, IS
• Software Engineering, SE
• New computing disciplines as required

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Curriculum reports

• Computer Science CC2001 (CS2001)
• Information Systems IS2002
• Software Engineering SE2004
• Computer Engineering CE2004
• Information Technology IT2005
• The Overview Volume CC2004 , (draft)
• The Overview Report CC2005 , (draft)

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The New Compass
http//www.acm.org/education/curricula.html
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Harder choices How the disciplines might appear
to prospective students.
Pre-1990s
EECE
CS
IS
Hardware
Business
Software
Post-1990s
EE
CE
CS
SE
IT
IS
Organizational Needs
Hardware
Software
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CE, Computer Engineering
Computer engineering is concerned with the design
and construction of computers, and computer based
systems. It involves the study of hardware,
software, communications, and the interaction
between them. Its curriculum focuses on the
theories, principles, and practices of
traditional electrical engineering and
mathematics, and applies them to the problems of
designing computers and computer-related devices.
Computer engineering students typically study
the design of digital hardware systems, including
computers, communications systems, and devices
that contain computers. They also study software
development with a focus on the software used
within and between digital devices (not the
software programs directly used by computer
users). The emphasis of the curriculum is on
hardware more than software, and it has a very
strong engineering flavor. Currently, a
dominant area within computing engineering is
development of devices that have software
embedded in hardware. Devices such as cell
phones, digital recorders, alarm systems, radar
systems, and laser surgical tools all rely on the
integration of hardware and embedded software,
and they are all the result of computer
engineering.
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CE, Computer Engineering
Organizational Issues Information Systems
ApplicationTechnologies
Software Methodsand Technologies
SystemsInfrastructure
Computer Hardwareand Architecture
TheoryPrinciplesInnovation
ApplicationDeploymentConfiguration
DEVELOPMENT
More Theoretical
More Applied

CE
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CS, Computer Science

• Computer science spans a wide range, from
  theoretical foundations to cutting-edge
  developments in robotics, computer vision,
  intelligent systems, and bioinformatics. The work
  of computer scientists falls into three areas
• Developing effective ways to solve computing
  problems. Computer scientists develop the
  best possible ways to store data in databases,
  send data over networks, and display complex
  images. Study of theory allows them to
  determine what performance is possible, and study
  of algorithms lets them develop new
  problem-solving approaches for better
  performance.
• Devising new ways to use computers. Progress in
  CS areas of networks database, and
  human-computer interface produced the
  world-wide-web which changed the world. They
  are now working to make robots be practical
  aides, databases create new knowledge, and
  computers do new things.
• Designing and implementing software. They are
  assigned key programming jobs and help keep
  other programmers aware of new approaches.
• Computer science spans the range from theory to
  programming and is the least-specialized of the
  computing disciplines. Other disciplines can
  produce graduates better prepared for specific
  jobs, while computer science offers a foundation
  that permits graduates to adapt to new
  technologies and ideas.

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Computer Science
Organizational Issues Information Systems
ApplicationTechnologies
Software Methodsand Technologies
SystemsInfrastructure
Computer Hardwareand Architecture
TheoryPrinciplesInnovation
ApplicationDeploymentConfiguration
DEVELOPMENT
CS
More Theoretical
More Applied

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IS, Information Systems
Information systems specialists use computer
systems to satisfy the information needs of
business and other organizations. Their
perspective on Information Technology
emphasizes information more than technology.
They are concerned with the information that
computer systems can provide to aid the
organization in defining and achieving its
goals. Information systems professionals often
work in large, complex organizations and with
information systems that are large and complex.
They understand both technical and organizational
factors, and must know how information can
provide the organization with a competitive
advantage. Information systems specialists
play a key role in determining both the
requirements and design of an organizations
information systems. Because their main emphasis
is on information more than technology, they
require a sound understanding of organizational
knowledge and practices so that they can serve as
an effective bridge between the technical and
management communities within an organization,
enabling them to work in harmony to ensure that
the organization has the information it needs.
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IS, Information Systems
Organizational Issues Information Systems
ApplicationTechnologies
Software Methodsand Technologies
SystemsInfrastructure
Computer Hardwareand Architecture
TheoryPrinciplesInnovation
ApplicationDeploymentConfiguration
DEVELOPMENT
IS
More Theoretical
More Applied

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IT, Information Technology
Information technology specialists possess the
necessary combination of knowledge and practical,
hands-on expertise to take care of an
organizations information technology and the
people who use it. Today, organizations of every
kind are dependent on information technology.
They need to have the appropriate systems in
place. Those systems must work properly and be
upgraded, maintained, and replaced as
appropriate. The people of the organization
require support from IT staff committed to
solving whatever computer-related problems they
might have. IT specialists meet these
needs. Their perspective on Information
Technology emphasizes the technology itself.
They assume responsibility for selecting
appropriate hardware and software products,
integrating those products with organizational
needs and infrastructure, and installing,
customizing and maintaining those resources.
Examples of their responsibilities include
installing and administering computer networks,
managing e-mail systems, designing web pages, and
developing multimedia resources and other digital
media. They also devise and manage the plans for
maintaining, upgrading, and replacing the
organizations IT resources to ensure they are
adequate and up-to-date.
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IT, Information Technology
Organizational Issues Information Systems
ApplicationTechnologies
Software Methodsand Technologies
SystemsInfrastructure
Computer Hardwareand Architecture
TheoryPrinciplesInnovation
ApplicationDeploymentConfiguration
DEVELOPMENT
IT
More Theoretical
More Applied

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SE, Software Engineering
Software engineering is the discipline of
developing and maintaining software systems that
behave reliably, can be developed with predicable
costs, and are affordable to develop and
maintain. It evolved in response to the
increased importance of software in
safety-critical situations and to the impact of
large and expensive software systems in a wide
range of situations. Traditionally, computer
scientists produced software. As the size,
complexity, and critical importance of software
grew, it became apparent that proper software
development practices require more than just the
underlying principles of computer science. They
also require the kind of rigor that engineering
provides to ensure that software is reliable and
trustworthy. Software engineering is different
from other engineering disciplines. It
integrates the science of computer science with
sound engineering principles and practices.
Software engineers generally study more applied
math and less theory than computer science
students. They take a more rigorous and
pragmatic view of software reliability and
maintenance, and focus on techniques for
developing and maintaining software that is
correct from its inception in order to avoid
costly and potentially dangerous situations
later.
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Software Engineering
Organizational Issues Information Systems
ApplicationTechnologies
Software Methodsand Technologies
SystemsInfrastructure
Computer Hardwareand Architecture
TheoryPrinciplesInnovation
ApplicationDeploymentConfiguration
DEVELOPMENT
More Theoretical
More Applied

SE
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III. Changes in Hungary and in EKC

• The academic reform of Hungarian higher education
  is inseparable from the Bologna Process.
• The old, undivided version contained almost 500
  types of diploma. In a new linear Anglo-Saxon
  system contains only around 100 BSc. degrees.
• From September 2006 the students can only begin
  their studies in the new system.
• The informatics play a main role in the new
  system therefore informatics is one of the eleven
  main training areas.

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Linear Anglo-Saxon in Hungary
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Situation in Informatics BSc

• I. Informatics training branch
• Mérnök infomatikus, MI (Technical Universities)
  Informatics Engineer Computer Engineering
  (CE), Computer Science (CS)
• Gazdasági informatikus, GI (Economical
  Universities) Economical Informatics
  Information Systems (IS), Information Technology
  (IT)
• Programtervezo informatikus, PTI (University of
  ) ProgramdesignerSoftware Engineer (SE)
  Computer Science (CS)
• II Other training branch
• - e.g. Libary and Infomatics

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Changes in Eszterházy Károly College

• In 1987 the Department of Computer Science was
  formed
• In 1988 the first Computer Science teacher major
  (8 sem.)
• In 1997 the Institute of Mathematics and
  Informatics was formed. Departments Applied
  Mathematics, Mathematics, Information
  Technology, Computing Science.
• New task teach informatics to every student of
  the Faculty of Natural Sciences.
• In 2002/2003 we started the Software Developer
  Mathematics (6 semester) training. (old system)
• In 2005 we started Software Engineer BSc. Renewed
  curriculum.
• From September 2006 all of the students can only
  begin their studies in the new system. (BSc-MSc)

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Curriculum of SE BSc

• A basic degree qualification needs the
  accumulation of 180 credits. 6 semesters for both
  normal and correspondence course. The normal
  course has on the average 25 lessons per week.
• 128 credits basic subjects and professional
  subjects (120 credits informatics, 8 credits
  economical and social sciences)
• 12 credits obligatory chosen professional
  subjects
• 10 credits freely chosen professional subjects
• 10 credits freely chosen other subjects
• 20 credits thesis

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Base subjects

• Fundamentals in Mathematics and Natural Sciences
• Introduction to Informatics,
• Discrete Mathematics,
• Calculus,
• Numerical Mathematics,
• Operation Research,
• Combinatorics and Probability,
• Computer Statistics
• Fundamentals of Computing Science
• Logical bases of Informatics,
• Automatons and Formal Languages,
• Data Structures and Algorithms,
• Development and Analysis of Algorithms,
• Artificial Intelligence,
• Introduction to Computer Graphics

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Professional subjects

• Software-technology Module
• High-level Programming Languages,
• Compilers,
• Programming Technologies,
• Development Environments,
• Assembly Languages
• System-technology Module
• Computer Architectures,
• Operating Systems,
• Network Architectures and Protocols,
• Tools and Services of the Internet
• Informatical Systems Module
• Database Systems,
• Database Management,
• System-organization,
• System-developing Technologies

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Specializations

• The students choose a specialization in their
  second semester.
• Data Models
• Database Management 2,
• OO Data Models,
• Advanced DBMS.
• Networks
• Efficiency of Networks,
• Server Administration,
• Dynamic WEB Programming,
• Broadband Local and Metropolitan Networks.
• Computer Graphics and Geometry
• Computer Graphics,
• Graphical Systems,
• Geometrical Modeling,
• Multimedia

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Specializations

• Mathematical Methods in Informatics
• Neural networks,
• Computer Statistics 2,
• Operation Analysis 2,
• Cryptography,
• Computer Algebraic Systems
• Free-choice subjects
• Word-processing and Presentations,
• Spreadsheet Systems,
• History of Informatics,
• Descriptive Geometry
• Other informatics subjects in the College

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The Goals of Training

• to teach such IT professionals
• participate in creating, maintaining,
  developing, and applying software oriented tools
  and systems of informatics either alone or in a
  team.
• Some student capable of participating in the
  second stage of education in this area to reach
  the degree of MSc. (Master of Science)
• To participate in Bologna Process and European
  Higher Education Area

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Concluding remarks

• The Bologna declaration seeks a common European
  answer to common European problems.
• Computing Curricula 2005 seeks a common
  Undergradute program in Computing
• We are very proud of our college and colleagues.
  It was a long way from the old fashioned teaching
  system to the new BSc. degree. We think that
  Eszterházy Károly College understood the
  challenges of the 21st century.

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Thank you for your attention

• Emod Kovács, emod_at_ektf.hu